


Making Friends

by owlmoose



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Between Episodes, Critmas Exchange, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 18:58:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17126924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: On a quiet (or not-so-quiet) evening in Whitestone, Vex goes looking for Taryon and Percy.





	Making Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amrynth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrynth/gifts).



> Written for the 2018 Critmas Exchange. Amrynth asked for a number of friendships, and I decided to focus on Taryon's friendship with Vex and Percy (and couldn't resist putting a bit of Percy/Vex in the background). I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Set during the year break in Campaign 1, Episode 95. Very minor spoilers.

The sun was just setting as Vex pulled the apron over her head and hung it on the hook for the day. The Slayers Cake had, as usual, sold out of most of its wares, although a stubbornly large pile of shortbread remained on the counter. She gathered it up into a sack -- perhaps the cook at the castle could repurpose it for dessert tomorrow -- and then leaned over the counter to look back in the kitchen.

"Pike?" she called out. "Tary? I'm closing up."

Pike stuck her head out of the door, hair tousled, a smudge of flour on her cheek. "Taryon's not back here," she said. "I thought he was out front with you."

Vex shook her head. "I haven't seen him all day."

"Huh." Pike glanced toward the front door. "He left a couple of hours ago. I'm surprised you didn't see him on his way out."

"Ah well." Vex closed the display case and put on her coat. "As long as he didn't leave you with too much work."

"It's fine." Pike grinned. "He'll just owe me."

Vex chuckled. "Maybe I'll convince him to open up tomorrow." Pike laughed, and Vex headed for the front door. "You can lock up?"

"Sure." Pike waved goodbye with a soapy hand, and Vex stepped outside, where Trinket waited for her, patiently as always. 

It was a crisp fall day, but one with the nip of winter in the air; Winter's Crest would be here soon, and Vex was already deep in planning Vox Machina's trip to Marquet. The vacation would be a welcome break from the day-to-day work of rebuilding Whitestone -- Vex could almost smell the ocean and hear the sound of waves. She turned out of an alleyway and up the path to the castle, where she was greeted by a blast of frigid wind, as if to taunt her; she responded by snuggling her hands deep in her cloak and picking up the pace of her steps. Soon, she was passing through the front door and walking into the castle. 

The guard by the door tipped his head in greeting. "Good evening, Lady Vex'ahlia." 

Vex responded with a raised hand and a smile. "Good evening," she said. "Have you seen Taryon today?"

"Not today, my lady," the guard replied. 

"All right." Perhaps he'd gone home to the estate. "What about Percival?"

The guard shook his head. "Not since I've been on duty, I'm afraid. Shall I ask the shift captain?"

"No, that's all right. I'm sure he's buried in some council business or in the workshop." Vex smiled again. "Thank you anyway."

"My lady. Sir bear." The guard saluted Trinket, then turned his attention back front, and Vex continued on, in the direction of Percy's workshop. She'd drop by the mansion to look for Tary later. 

The workshop was in the basement, far away from bedrooms and anywhere official business was conducted, both for safety and to isolate the noise. Vex was only halfway down the stairs when she started to hear a distant banging and clanging. She chuckled and shook her head, then raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw that the door was closed. She looked at Trinket, and he looked back. "What on earth is Percy up to?"

Trinket grunted, his equivalent of a shrug, then flopped down by the wall next to the door, ears pricked up, a mild look of disgruntlement on his face. She scratched him behind the ears before pounding on the door as loud as she could, despite the unlikelihood of being heard over that racket. Percy was hammering metal all right, and she suddenly realized what he must be doing.

So she pulled her Earring of Whisper out of her pouch, clipped it to her ear, and lightly tapped it. "Hello, Taryon?"

A pause, and then his voice came through, the pounding noise doubled in the background. "Ah, Vex. What can I do for you?"

"Would you be a dear and open the workshop door?"

"Of course." An abrupt silence fell, and then the door opened to reveal a smiling Taryon Darrington; over his shoulder, Vex could see Percy, stripped down to shirtsleeves, a large mallet in his hand. "Why didn't you just knock?"

"I did," Vex said, stepping through the door at Tary stood aside; she walked over to Percy for a quick kiss, then hopped up onto a stool by the workbench. "Several times. I presume you couldn't hear me over the racket." 

Tary tipped his head in acknowledgement. "So why did you call me rather than Percival?"

Vex grinned. "Because I thought it more likely that you'd have your new earring on."

Percy chuckled, and Taryon fingered the silver teardrop that dangled from his right ear. "True enough, true enough," Tary said. "So, which of us were you looking for?"

"Either," Vex said with a shrug. "Just wondering what you were up to, since I hadn't seen either of you today. Not even at the bakery." 

Taryon winced. "My apologies. I did spend a few hours in the kitchen assisting Pike; as I had no shift scheduled at the front, and Pike made no objection, I thought it might be all right to slip out a bit early to help Percival." 

"Pike wouldn't, no matter how she felt," Vex said gently, and Taryon looked at the floor, then back at Vex. She winked at him. "No harm done. Just make sure to reciprocate the next time she needs a favor from you."

"Absolutely!" 

Vex smiled. "Splendid. Would you mind opening tomorrow?"

Taryon glanced at the clock on the wall. "I think I can manage that."

"Excellent." Vex opened the sack of shortbread and held it out toward him. "Shortbread?" Taryon took out two pieces and handed one to Percy before taking a bite of the other. Vex gestured toward the anvil, where a sheet of steel was cooling, being pounded into a shape that resembled a breastplate. "So I'm guessing this is what Percy needed your help with?"

"Indeed." Percy licked the shortbread crumbs from his index finger, then ran it along along the edge of the metal. "The last bit of the new Doty."

Vex clapped her hands together with pleasure. "Splendid. When will he be ready to assemble?"

"By week's end, we think." Percy caught Taryon's eye. "Of course, that's only part of the job."

"Ah." Vex raised an eyebrow at Taryon. "The enchantment?"

Taryon nodded. "I've been working enchantments into all the pieces as they're forged, of course, and the power source is ready to go. But it will still take a significant working of magic to bring all the elements together into the automaton known as Doty."

Vex crossed her feet and let them rest on the edge of the stool. "So you'll call this one Doty, as well?"

"Of course," Taryon replied. "No matter the form he takes, he's still Doty. I consider each Doty a new evolution of the same creature. Well, I suppose 'creature' is the wrong word." He tapped his chin and furrowed his brow. "Person?" He shrugged. "I know you all may not think of Doty as a person. But to me, he's, well..."

Vex smiled. "I understand, dear. Just because Doty's not alive, in the way we usually think of living, doesn't make him not a person. Especially not to you."

"I knew you would understand, my dear little elf girl," Taryon said, bowing with a flourish. "I'm sure you feel similarly about your Trinket."

"You can say that again," Percy said with a chuckle. Vex thwacked him on the leg, and he grinned at her. "Did I say you were wrong in your sentiments?"

"No, but still." Vex swatted at him again, and he danced out of reach, laughing. She laughed back. "How much more work do you have tonight?"

Percy laid his hand on the metal breastplate. "Another half hour, perhaps. If that's all right."

Vex shrugged. "I presume so. As far as I know there's nothing special planned for dinner. Do you mind if I stay, and join you in the meal after?"

"I've no objection." Percy favored her with a warm smile, then glanced at Taryon.

"Please do," Taryon said. "We're always delighted to have you."

Vex settled herself more securely on the stool, leaning her back against the wall as her lover and her best friend returned to their work, Percy pounding the metal into shape as Taryon worked enchantments into the seams, and luxuriated in the warms of the bellows and their companionship. It was good to be home.


End file.
